Photos have come out showing the inside of a new immigration center in Florida called “Alligator Alcatraz.” The facility, located deep in the Everglades, can hold up to 5,000 migrants. People will stay in metal cages surrounded by fences.
During a tour on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump walked through the large center. Videos showed empty rows of metal bunk beds behind chain-link fences that look like they were quickly built.
As he toured the place, Trump made a joke, saying, “Biden wanted me in here, that son of a b—h,” while walking through the isolated facility. It’s surrounded by wild animals like alligators, crocodiles, and pythons.
Trump also joked with reporters, saying the swamp outside isn’t a place he would want to go hiking. He added, “The only real way out is deportation,” describing the harsh, swampy landscape that surrounds the area.
The center is located at the Dade Collier Training and Transition Airport and will cost around $450 million a year to run. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said some of that cost will be covered by FEMA through their Shelter and Services Program. The first migrants may arrive as soon as Wednesday.
The facility has already been given nicknames like “Alligator Alcatraz” and “Gator Gitmo.” It was built by the state in just eight days. It includes 200 security cameras, 28,000 feet of barbed wire, and more than 400 guards. About 100 National Guard members will also help protect the site. It sits right in the middle of Route 41, the only road that cuts across southern Florida from Miami to Naples.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “There’s only one road leading in, and the only way out is a one-way flight.” She described the center as completely cut off by dangerous wildlife and rough terrain.
Trump’s team has leaned into the theme, even posting pictures online of alligators wearing ICE hats. Homeland Security has started selling “Alligator Alcatraz” gear on social media.
During his tour, Trump also joked that new detainees would be trained on how to escape alligators. He showed how to run in a zigzag pattern with his hands, saying, “Don’t run in a straight line — run like this.”
However, not everyone is pleased. Some critics online compared the facility to a “concentration camp,” pointing out that the images didn’t show any air conditioning or ventilation. Officials responded by saying the site will be properly cooled for Florida’s hot climate.
Environmental groups are also upset. They believe the center could harm endangered animals in the Everglades. These groups are pushing for an environmental review. But state officials argue that the law the groups are using only applies to federal, not state-run, projects.
Trump said he wants more centers like this one in other states. “I’d like to see them in many states,” he said. “At some point, they might even form a system.”
